Russian aircraft manufacturer IRKUT has made a case for the Yak-130 advanced combat trainer to be a part of the Indian Air Force (IAF) fleet. The aircraft which has been inducted into the Russian Air Force to offer both basic and advanced jet training for fourth and fifth generation fighter aircraft is considered a good fit for the MiG-29, SU-30 MKI, the Rafale MMRCA and the potential acquisition of the PAK-FA fifth generation fighter.
During the course of a press conference at Aero India 2013, Vitaly Borodich, Senior Vice-President (Military- Aviation) of IRKUT said that the Yak-130 can be used both as a trainer and as combat jet when the need arises. Unlike the Hawk-100 which India has ordered from BAE Systems which is more than 15 years old in design terms, the Yak-130 was developed in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
10/02/13 DefenseWorld.net